Join us for our first ever completely FREE Girls' Night
Our First ever Girls’ Night is taking place at Ravelin Sports Centre on Friday 3 February from 7:00pm-10:30pm. This is the perfect opportunity for you to get together with friends or meet new people and take part in a whole range of sports and activities. This event is completely FREE and is open to students and University of Portsmouth staff who identify as female.
The purpose
It can be incredibly daunting trying something new and making that first step in getting active. When looking at our own customer base as well as global research it’s clear to see that significantly more males are active and involved in sport and/or regularly exercise compared to females. We are trying to bridge this gap by encouraging more of students and staff who identify as female to get active, Girls’ Night is the perfect start.
You will be able to access a whole range of different activities throughout the evening, we are bound to have a few sessions that will suit you!
Win a 1-month Ultimate Ravelin Sports Centre Membership
We will be giving away a student and staff one-month Ultimate membership. To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is come along to Girls' Night.
What’s included?
- Gym sessions and lifting classes
- Swimming
- Climbing
- Fitness classes
- Sport sessions including boxing and squash
- And more
Why should you come to Girls’ Night?
- Range of activities to get involved in
- The perfect opportunity to try something new
- You can choose the activities you want to try
- Make friends with likeminded people
- Take things at your own pace and ease yourself into getting active
- Comfortable, safe, judgement-free and welcoming environment
- Unique atmosphere in the gym set by a live DJ from the Pure FM station
How to access sessions
All you need to do is come to Ravelin Sports Centre between 7.00pm and 9.30pm (as the event will be running until 10.30pm). All of the sessions have capacity limits for health and safety reasons, so make sure you arrive well in advance of the activities you wish to get involved in to avoid dissapointment.
On the day
- Swimming, classes and gym - You will need to report to reception to be given access to these activity areas.
- Climbing - You will need to report to reception to sign a waiver.
- Club sessions (any sport sessions) - There will be someone checking you in upon entry.
Timetable
Float Fit HIIT is a full body, High Intenisty Interval Training workout on water. This demanding and energetic fitness class for all fitness levels includes squats, mountain climbers, lunges and maybe even some burpees.
The introduction to synchronised swimming is with qualified coaches from Portsmouth and District Synchronised Swimming club. Learn how to move gracefully through the water to music.
- Float Fit HIIT - 7.05pm-7.40pm (Lanes 5-8)
- Introduction to synchronised swimming - 8.00pm-8.45pm (Lanes 5-8)
Learn the basics of boxing as well as a bit of self defence.
- 7.00pm-8.00pm (Sports Hall 1 (Court 3 and 4)
This 1 hour climbing session will take you through all the basic skills for using the climbing wall safely. This includes bouldering using our auto belay. This is for new climbers - no previous experience or equipment is required.
- Learn to climb sessions - 7:00pm-7:50pm, 8.00pm-8.50pm, 9.00pm-9.50pm
Try out some fun Dodgeball based games including bulldog, daisy chain, supercatch and more!
- 8.00pm-9.00pm (Sports Hall 1)
Group fitness is more than just a workout. It can be motivating, it can be social, it can be rewarding and it will definitely be worth it. Fitness classes are suitable for anyone regardless of previous experience or ability.
- Zumba - 7.00pm-7.50pm (Studio 1 and 2)
- Pilates - 8.00pm-8.45pm (Studio 1 and 2)
- FIT Bounce - 9.00pm-9.45pm (Studio 1 and 2)
The female only gym sessions will allow you to try out our 175 station gym, whether you want to use our cardio machines, weights or functional area, there’s a whole range of options. The weights session will involve a health and fitness instructor guide you through your workout.
- Female only gym sessions - 7.00pm-10.30pm
- Female only weights session - 8.00pm-8.45pm (Performance area)
Have a go at learning the basics of throwing, catching and shooting before trying out your skills in a mini game!
- 7.00pm-8.00pm (Sports Hall 2)
Learn some ball coordination and how to work as a team before playing some small sided games.
- 9.00pm-10.30pm (Sports Hall 2)
The casual swimming sessions are ideal if you want to swim and chat with friends, there will be no lane ropes for these sessions and the depth will be 1.4m. or those who want a more challenging swim - continuous swimming in lanes with water 2m deep. The instructed lane swim is for those who who can swim but would like to improve their fitness and technique in water 2m deep (you should be able to swim 100m continuously.)
- Lane swim - 7.00pm-7.55pm (Lanes 1-4)
- Instructed lane swim - 8.00pm-8.55pm (Lanes 1-4)
- Lane swim - 9pm-10.30pm (Lanes 1-4)
- Casual swim - 9.00pm-10.30pm (Lanes 5-8)
Get the basics of using a rowing machine before moving onto sprints and relays. You can then test yourself with some high-intensity interval workouts.
- 8.30pm-9.30pm (Squash courts 1 and 2)
Start with some technique based work before having the opportunity to try some sparring.
- 7.00pm-8.00pm (Sports Hall 1 (Court 1 and 2)
Learn the basics and skills before some play-based practice leading into a game.
- 9.00pm-10.30pm (Sports Hall 1)
Learn the basics of rugby before trying out some Touch Rugby and Rugby Rounders.
- 8.00pm-9.00pm (Sports Hall 2)
Frequently asked questions
As long as you are a student or University of Portsmouth member of staff who identifies as female, you are more than welcome to come along!
You aren't guaranteed a place on all the sessions you wish to attend, as there is limited capacity due to health and safety reasons. This will be managed on a first come first served basis.
When looking at our own customer base, the university, and global trends, it’s clear to see that significantly more males are active and exercise regularly compared to females. We want to make sure that more women and girls feel empowered to make the first step in exercising more frequently. By running this event, we hope we are able to help women and girls feel more confident about trying something new. We have made sure that we chose a time when the centre isn’t generally very busy and we hope that we have given you enough time to make alternative plans.
You do not need to be available for the full duration of the event in order to attend, you can choose to attend one or two sessions or more, the choice is yours!
We will provide all of the equipment needed to take part in the sessions. You just need to bring yourself and something comfortable to exercise in. Don’t forget your swim costume and towel if you’re going swimming or doing an aqua class!
Make sure that you wear clothes that are comfortable and are suitable for the activities you have booked to take part in.
Of course! If anything, this is the perfect opportunity for you to come and familiarise yourself with the centre and try something new, it doesn’t matter if you’re not the best at the start, part of the reward will be seeing your improvement. Our gym instructors will be on hand to help - or just ask someone else.
The main purpose of our events are to get people to engage in sport and physical activity, this one is designed specifically for females. If there came a time where men and boys were not participating in sport as readily as they currently are, we would look to run an event like this in the future.
Yes, whether you go to a local or college, or if you’re a student at another university, you are more than welcome to come along.